Director, Access and Referral

Job Purpose

The Director, Access & Referral oversees intake, inquiry, referral, and access functions to support timely, equitable, and culturally grounded connections to Liliʻuokalani Trust (LT) programs, services, and community resources. This role provides leadership in referral coordination, team supervision, community partnership development, and continuous quality improvement to strengthen access pathways, kamalei (youth and young adult) experience, and continuity of care for youth, young adults, and families. The Director collaborates across programs and partners to support responsive, data-informed, and healing-centered practices aligned with LT values and organizational goals.

Essential Responsibilities

Access & Referral Operations

• Oversee daily intake, inquiry, referral, and access operations across phone, text, online, and community-based referral pathways.
• Ensure equitable, timely, and appropriate access to LT programs, services, and community resources through effective referral coordination, workflow management, and kamalei (youth and young adult) support.
• Monitor referral processes, documentation, tracking, and information management for intake within LT database to support accurate records, service coordination, and continuity of care.
• Support implementation and continuous improvement of referral protocols, eligibility criteria, enrollment practices, and operational workflows.
• Collaborate with Team Services, program leadership, and cross-functional teams to co-develop and implement solutions that strengthen access pathways, improve coordination, and enhance the kamalei (youth and young adult) experience, ultimately increasing enrollment in LT programs and services.

• Lead cross-functional process improvement efforts related to access and referral to streamline workflows, reduce barriers, and enhance the user experience across the full access pathway, including outreach, inquiry, referral, eligibility determination, enrollment, registration, and participation in programs and services.

• Partner with Team Services and program teams to continuously improve participant– facing systems (LT website, referral forms, enrollment processes), workflows, and technical solutions, and strengthen communications to ensure a seamless, participant-centered experience from initial inquiry through enrollment.
• Monitor and analyze referral, inquiry, enrollment, and participation trends to identify barriers to access and recommend process, technology, and communication improvements that increase engagement and successful connections to programs and services.

Supervision & Practice Leadership

• Provide supervision, coaching, consultation, and performance support to direct report teammates.
• Support teammates in delivering welcoming, culturally grounded, strengths-based, trauma-informed, healing-centered, and positive youth development approaches aligned with LT values and expectations.
• Provide guidance and support in complex or urgent situations involving eligibility, safety, engagement, communication, and coordination of services.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and supportive team environment that promotes learning, consistency, and quality practice.

Community Partnerships & Capacity Building

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with schools, child welfare partners, behavioral health providers, community organizations, and other referral sources across the pae ʻāina to strengthen referral pathways and ensure smooth entry into LT programs and services.
• Oversee development and maintenance of community resource directories, referral partner information, and related access resources.
• Identify service gaps, emerging needs, and opportunities through referral, inquiry, engagement, and community trends.
• Provides supervision and operational oversight to system partner coordination, supporting effective referral coordination, system partner communication, and continuous improvement of intake and workflow processes.
• Develop and support implementation of training materials, practice guidance, and operational workflows related to engagement, referral coordination, documentation, and community navigation.
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration across LT to strengthen continuity of care and comprehensive support for youth and young adults.
• Stay informed on federal and state trends, funding changes, and service disruptions that may impact services, programs, or community resources.
• Partner with community organizations and referral sources to improve coordination, communication, and navigation processes that support timely access, enrollment, and engagement in LT programs and services.
• Coodinate with internal and external partners to identify and reduce barriers to participation, improve referral-to-enrollment conversion, and enhance overall kamalei (youth and young adult), ʻohana, and community experience.
• Lead and/or support special projects engaging community partners to design and implement new initiatives, strengthening cross-sector collaboration and program impact.

Quality Improvement & Strategic Coordination

• Support quality assurance, data-informed decision-making, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts related to access, referral operations, service coordination, and kamalei (youth and young adult) experience.
• Collaborate with teammates and leadership to monitor trends, evaluate effectiveness of processes, and identify opportunities for operational and program improvement.
• Participate in organizational planning and cross-department initiatives to strengthen service integration, responsiveness, and access to supports.
• Share insights and recommendations to improve systems, workflows, outreach, and program effectiveness.

Other Duties

• Assist with operational support, coverage, and coordination across programs, sites, or service areas as needed.
• Participate in meetings, trainings, professional development, and community collaboration activities as assigned.
• Contribute to a safe, supportive, collaborative, and learning-oriented environment for teammates and beneficiaries.
• Contribute to the Trust’s success by supporting team members, accepting new assignments, learning new skills, and striving to improve organizational outcomes.
• Evening, weekend, holiday hours, and travel may be required as needed for Trust business.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work, human services, psychology, or related field preferred. Bachelorʻs degree in a related field may be substituted, with equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Minimum of ten years of relevant experience supporting youth, young adults, and families experiencing disparities through youth development, social services, behavioral health, or related settings including program planning, design, implementation, and continuous improvement.
• Minimum of five years of direct supervisory, coaching, or team leadership experience preferred.
• Experience with intake, referral coordination, care navigation, community engagement, case management, or related service systems preferred.
• Knowledge of Hawaiʻi’s youth- and family-serving systems and community resources.
• Strong communication, organization, problem-solving, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to engage youth, young adults,  families, and communities using culturally grounded, strengths-based, and trauma-informed approaches.
• Experience with identifying and developing technical solutions to improve systems, workflows, and service access, and applying them in practice.
• Valid driver license and clean traffic abstract.
• TB clearance; First Aid and CPR/AED Certification preferred.
• Ability to travel and work occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Job Competencies

• Relationship Building and Emotional Intelligence: Relatable, self-aware and empathetic with strong emotional intelligence.
• Organizational Development: Has a successful track record in change management. Influences to lead and support changing initiatives.
• Culture Competence: Ready to support the Trust as it applies a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to all aspects of work. Respects and relates well to people from varied backgrounds and is sensitive to group differences. Experience working with at-risk youth.
• Collaboration: Ability to interact effectively with youth, community partners, and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Communication: Clearly conveys and receives information and ideas to individuals or groups that engages the listener and invites response and feedback. Demonstrates good written, oral, and listening skills.

Organization Competencies

• Alignment with Queen’s legacy: Understanding and appreciation of Queen Liliuokalani’s story, her legacy and the Hawaiian Culture is foundational to staff’s commitment to working with our Hawaiian children, families and communities.
• Demonstrates respect for and appreciation of Hawaiian values history, and culture understanding its implication in one’s work, in fostering meaningful relationships, and in embracing the community served.
• Hoʻomau i ka ʻimi Naʻauao (Continuous Learning and Improvement): Committed to creating and reinforcing an environment of continuous learning and improvement.
• Hoʻike i na Manaʻo Pono (Effective Communication): Communicates with those we serve and each other in a consistent manner that results in mutual understanding, harmony, and action.
• Noʻonoʻo loi (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving): Actively and skillfully understands, conceptualizes, applies, analyzes, synthesizes, and/or evaluates information and develops and supports fact-based analyses and recommendations.
• Hoʻo kumu aʻe or ʻImi hakuhia (Innovation): Identifies and integrates creative ideas into new or existing services and promotes effective problem-solving.
• Pilina Hoʻohana a me ka Hana Hilinaʻi (Building Relationships and Creating Trust): Manages relationships to create optimal opportunities and move the organization forward.
• Alu Like I ka Hana (Teamwork): Works cooperatively and collaboratively with others throughout the organization in alignment with the organization's objectives.
• Hoʻonui I ka ʻIke (Capacity Building): Encourages personal growth by exhibiting trust and a belief in the capacity of others.

Mental and Physical Demands:

Requires frequent sitting, bending, standing. Performs light physical work, including climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, and lifting to 25 pounds. Exposed to outdoor climate and diverse terrain.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment, employee will be subject to LT’s policies and procedures.

This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions, it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. This job description is subject to change at any time.

Liliʻuokalani Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to recruit, train, and retain innovative talent from a diverse candidate pool. All employment decisions will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, ancestry, genetic information, citizenship, marital/civil union status, arrest and court record, domestic or sexual violence victim status, credit history, disability or veteran/military status or other applicable legally protected characteristics.